Planograph co



E. SANDOW.-

SPRING GRIP DUNIB BELL. APPLICATION man 061.19. 1911.

1,308,259. Patented 11115111919.

56 1 39 I X 57 2,3 so 29 ,VM/ 15! I "w 35 34 a f TME CoLuMBm PLAEOGRAPH co1, WASHINGTON, D. c.

EUGEN snivnow, or Lennon, ENGLAND;

SPRING'GIR/IP DUMB-BELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

`Patented July 1, 1919.

Application mea october 19, 1917. seriaim.`1s'r,474,

To all 207mm t may] concern y Be it known that I, EUGEN SANDow, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Grip Dumb-Bells, of

which the following' is a specification. This invention relates to spring grip dumb bells, chest expandersorlike physical exercisers.

The object of this invention is to combine with a spring grip dumb bell or the `like means for varying the efi'ectivelength of the spring or springs sothat it requires a varying amount of strength to overcome the resistance offered `by the spring, and with means for visibly indicating the value of the strength required or the resistance offered, say in pounds, to extend or compress said spring 0r springs to the full extent. A further object consists in combining with the means referred to means for giving an audible indication when the full grip or movement has been made. y

The present invention consists in `the combination of means for varying the effective length of the spring or springs, with means for visibly indicating the value `of the strength required to `overcome the resista-nce oiTered by the spring `or springs. with or Without means for giving an audible indication that the full grip or movement has been made. i

According to i this invention, coil springs whether adapted to be used under tension or compression may be arranged to havea part or parts of their coils putout of actionby a projection in the form of" a screw thread or` threads adapted to enterbetweenthe coils either from inside or outside` of same and support at least one complete coil ofthe spring, said projection forminga point lfor the coil to abut against `or to pull from, which point may include any desired number of the coils according to the position in which it is set, the number varying according to the pull or'pressure required to extend or compress that part of the coil in action. f f

The other end of thespring may'work against a point adapted either to abut againstor to pull from, or `the spring at such endr may be provided with asimilar `coil cutting out `device to that `above referred to.

` In practice the separting device for the coils is preferably a single turn of a wedge shaped screw thread carried on an external or internal tube or rod or like part so arranged that` it can be screwed to and fro along the coil of the spring.

y In the accompanying drawingwhich illustrates this invention, more particularly in connection with spring grip dumb bells Figuresl, 2 and?) illustrate in longitudinal section some embodiments ofthe esse`ntial features of this invention and Fig. 4L shows the invention, in longitudinal section, as applied to a dumb-bell.

In the example shownin Fig. 1, the spring is arranged in compression. The device y comprises a rotatabletube 1, furnished with an internal screw thread 2 adapted to engage with the coils of the spring V3 located within the tube 1. One end of the s ring 3 is attached at l to the end of a slida le rod or tube 5 arranged Vwithin the coils of the spring 3. The end ofthe spring 3 may carry or be formed as a pointery 6 adapted to coact With points or marks on the internal rod or tube 5, such pointer serving to show the extent of movement between the parts 1 and 5 and the compression of the spring 3.

`In this form ofiny invention the tubes 1 and 5 are relatively fixed longitudinally in some supporting frame as for instance in a dumbbell, not shown, and keep this same relative position except when force is applied, such as the, gripping action of the hand. O'nthe release of the force applied the tubes 1 and 5 spring back to their former relative position. The oointer 6 coperates withthe transverse mar (s on the tube 5. As the member 1 is rotated in one direction it brings more coils of the spring within itself and since the members l and 5 are longitudinally -immovable except under gripping action, as explained above, this brings the pointer 6 to the right, Fig. 1, as fewer coils of the spring will be left outside. In this manner the pointer 6 indicates the compression in the spring 3, which is proportional to the length contained within the member 1.

It will be seen that the greater the number of coils of the spring 3 located within the tube 1, the greater will be the resistance offered by the spring and the power required to separate the `parts l and 5.

In the example shown in Fig. 2, the spring is arranged in tension. The device i oo comprises a rotatable rod orvlilze part 7 `furnished near each end with a screw thread 8', 9, adapted to engage with the coils of two surrounding springs 10, 11. respectively, the opposite ends of said springs being engaged by pins 12, 13, carried by parts 14, 15, respectively slidably mounted on the ends of the part 7 i As in the construction shown in Fig. 1, the springs 10, 11 may each be provided' with a ,pointer 10X, 11X respectively adapted to co-act with points or marks on` the part 7. "In this construction, the greater the number of coils of the springs 1() and 11 located on the i'ight and left respectively of the threads 8 and 9, that is, rendered inactive, the greater will be the resistance offered by `the spring vand the power required to separate the ends 14C and 15.

.A second form of device in which a tension springA is employed'is shown in Fig. 3 in fwhich a single spring 1.6 is entirely inclosed within a Arotatabletube 17 furnished with a th-read 18. The outer end of the spring 1G is attached to a hook or part 19 carried by a slidable part 20 surrounding one end of the tube 17. The part 19 is moved to extend the spring by the movement of somepart of an apparatus to which kit is appliedas in the other cases.i As in the other forms means are provided for indicating the extentY of movement of the moving parts.

Inthis case thel tube 17 is provided with a lslot 21 through which the coils of the spring may be seen, the end coilof the spring co-acting with marks or points 22 on the tube 17.

Either of the devices above described may bejused in connectionV with a spring grip dumb-bell in ,which it is desired to regulate the strength required' for the grip and to indicate the gripping strength applied, as well as to give anaudible indication either when 'the limit of grip compression is obtained'or when the grip. is relaxed, or both, and the application of the arrangement substantiallyl as shown in Fig. 2, but with only one spring; to a dumb-bell is shown in Fig. 4c.

According to` the example. illustrated the handle portion is formed of two or more separated sections 23 so as.. to be compressible, and the ends 2a of each section are beveled and lit into end pieces 25, 26, provided with4 annular recesses each formed with a beveled surface. 27, adapted to co-act with the beveled ends on the sections 23, the arrangement beingsuch that any compression of the sections 23 tendsl to force the end pieces 25, 26 apart.

Between the sections 23 and carried by the end piece 26 is a rotatable rod or part 28 having an external thread 29 of the form above referred to, said thread engaging the coils of a spring 30 the outer end of which is attached, such as by pins 31, to a part slidably mounted on a reduced part of the rod 28.

Means are provided for rotating the rod 28 from one of the ends. In the device illustrated such means comprises a spring controlled part 33, sunk in the end 26, arranged to engage a squared part 34- termed on the rod 28. The part 33 may be drawn oted, said pawl co-acting with a collar or part. 38 formed on or carried by the reduced part of the rod 28.

Incperation, the compression of the sertioiis 23 will cause the ends 25. 2G, to separate against the resistance offered by the spring, the end 25, part 32, gongr and hammer 36 moving to the lclt and the end 26 and collar 38 to the right, the tripping of the pawl 37 causes the hannner to strike the gong both when the parts more outwardly caused by compression, or more inwardly caused by relaxation of the pressure.

The rod carrying the screw thread is visible between the sections 23, and, if the rod 28 is provided with division marks, indicating say pounds pressure, and the end coil of the spring 30 is formed as a pointer 39, the amount of pressure exerted to extend thev active portion of the spring, left free by the position of the thread therein, will be seen by the position of the pointer and the indicator.

That I claim is k 1. spring grip dumb bell, having in combination, a spring, means for varying the effective length of said spring, means for visibly indicating the value of the strength required to overcome the resistance oiiered by said spring, and means for giving an audible indication when the full grip has been given.

2. spring grip dumb bell having in combination, a spring, means for varying the effective length of said spring, means for visibly indicating the value of the strength required to overcome the resistance oliered by said spring, compressible grip sections having beveled ends, slidable end pieces having beveled recesses receiving and co-acting with the ends of the grip sections, and controlled by the spring, and means for giving an audible indication when the desired extent of end movement has been attained by the slidable end pieces.

sounding the gono at a certain point of movement of the slldable end piece.`

` 4. A physical exerciser inthe form of spring grip dumb bell, comprising in combi-` nation a rotatable lneXtenslble part, a project-lon 1n the form of a screvv thread formed on such part, a coiled spring adapted to en` gage with such projection, a `part slidably mounted on one end of the rotatable ineX` tensible part to which one end of the spring is connected, end pieces arranged to co-act with the rotatable inextensible part and with the slidable part mounted thereon respectively, two or more separated sections adapted to co-act with said end pieces so that any compression ofthe separated sections tends to force the end pieces apart, indicating points or marks provided on the rotatable inextensible part and a pointer Copies of this patent may be obtained forve cents eaeliy mounted on one end ofthe `adapted to eo-act .with that any compression of tions tends to force the end pieces apart,`in-

provided on the spring adapted to emact` therewith for the purpose of indicating the value oi. the strength required to overcome the resistance offered by the spring. y t

5. A. physical eXereiser in the form of a springgrip dumb bell, comprising in co1nbination a rotatable inextensible part, a proj ection in the form of ascrew thread formed on such part, a coiled spring adapted to engage with such projection,` a part slidably rotatable ineXtensible part to which one end ofthe spring 1s connected, end pieces arranged to co-act with the rotatable inextensible parts and d with the yslidable part mounted thereon respectively, two or more separated sections the separated secsaid end pieces so dicating pointsor marks provided on the 1 rotatable inextensible part, a pointer prolvided on the spring adapted toco-act there- With for the purpose of indicating the value of the strength required to overcome the resistance offered by the spring, and means for o'ivinof an audible indication When the C b i i full grip or movement has been given.

In `Witness `whereof I have hereunto set my hand. n

.EGEN SANDOW.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. a 

